Cinder Emeraude
by Scandiadream
Summary: The story of Cinderella (Ever After version) featuring the Rayearth Characters!


Cinder Emeraude   


by Scandiadream scandiadream@hotmail.com 

Rating- G 

A remake of the Cinderella story using the Magic Knight Rayearth characters. It will be   
more similar to the feminist version in Ever After than to the usual fairy tale. 

Disclaimer- I did not make up the wonderful Rayearth characters. CLAMP did.   


Once upon a time, in a faraway land named Cephiro, there was a merchant named Clef   
Maimonides. He and his wife, Presea, desired a baby very much. So they were extremely   
grateful when they were blessed with a little girl. Her name was Emeraude and she was a   
very bright and sweet girl. 

Unfortunately, Presea passed away when Emeraude was eight years old. Clef was   
heartbroken, and so was little Emeraude. A year or so afterwards, he met a rich woman,   
Alcyone Borgia, who had a daughter, Caldina, just a couple years older than Emeraude.   
Wanting to give Emeraude a mother, Clef married Alcyone, even though he still loved   
Presea and missed her a lot. Alcyone treated Emeraude as well as she treated Caldina, or   
so it seemed. 

Curiously, Clef died of a heart attack a few months after marrying Alcyone. That   
surprised Emeraude, since she knew that her father did not have any cardiac problems.   
But her father's death was not the worst part. 

"Emeraude, now you are an orphan and have no rights. You will work to earn your   
keep."   
"But stepmother, you were not like that. Father entrusted me to you."   
"I don't care. You will go to school only because it is the law and we don't want to   
arouse suspicion. But not a word of this to anybody, or else I will kick you out to the   
streets."   
Emeraude broke into tears.   
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about." the wicked Alcyone said. 

Poor Emeraude. Alcyone made her life impossible with her demands. On the other hand,   
Caldina was friendly to her and even played with her behind her mother's back. 

Ten years later... 

"Emeraude, now that you have graduated high school, you will be my full time servant."   
"Um, mother, we can hire another servant with the money from my job" Caldina was a   
dancer and earned quite a nice salary.   
"Keeping the house IS Emeraude's job. And she will stay a servant forever."   
"That is what YOU think" Emeraude said to herself. 

Little did Alcyone know that Emeraude had enrolled at the university. It was free, so   
money was not a problem, and it was open to anyone who wanted to study, so she was   
not denied admission or even asked who she was. Emeraude was majoring in psychology   
and hoped to someday become a counselor and enable people to solve their problems. 

"Hi Emeraude"   
"Oh hi Ferio! I brought you some blueberry pancakes!"   
Ferio was a 10-year-old orphan boy who lived in a hut close to Emeraude's house. His   
mother had died recently, but he did not want to become someone else's servant boy nor   
go to an orphanage, therefore he told nobody that he had no parents and did odd jobs in   
order to support himself.   
"How's school?" Ferio asked.   
Emeraude often helped Ferio with his homework. She was more than a friend to him, in   
fact, he saw her as the big sister he never had.   
"I LOVE it. My way to freedom someday." Emeraude said. "And I have to get there   
now. Class is about to start." 

It was almost 7 at night. Since Emeraude was under the constant vigilance of Alcyone,   
she could only take early morning or evening classes that did not conflict with her   
servitude nor would arouse suspicion. She would wear a trenchcoat, shades, and a   
kerchief so that nobody would recognize her. 

But today, the beginning of the new term, she would meet somebody that would change   
her life forever. 

"Hi, is this seat taken?"   
"Oh, Your Royal Highness, I did not know that you were taking this class. The seat is   
free!" Emeraude knew that the Crown Prince of Cephiro was a student at the University,   
but not that he also registered for a class she was taking.   
"Thank you. And please call me Zagato. We are all equals here."   
"My name is Emeraude. Pleased to meet you, Highness, I mean Zagato."   
Why did Emeraude feel butterflies in her stomach? It was not the first time she had run   
into a member of the Royal Family, so she was surprised. 

And Prince Zagato also got a nice surprise.   
"I had never met someone so enthusiastic about psychology."   
"It's my favorite subject." Emeraude said with a slight smile.   
"But you sure have an interest in it. You knew all the answers."   
"Well, I like school a lot"   
"So do I" Yet Zagato did not suspect that education was the only way Emeraude could   
superate herself and get away from Alcyone's control someday. "When are your other   
classes?"   
"Oh, they are all early mornings and evenings. And one on Saturdays." Emeraude didn't   
know if to tell the truth, but she couldn't just lie to the Prince.   
"My schedule is just as crazy, don't worry. Would you like a ride back home,   
Emeraude?"   
"No thank you. My house is close to here."   
"Are you sure?"   
"I am positive Prince, I mean Zagato. May you have a good night."   
"You too, Emeraude." 

Emeraude could not let the royal stagecoach take her home. She came and went as   
incognito as possible. 

"Zagato, you look happy tonight." the King asked his son after he arrived from class.   
"Let's just say I made a new friend." Zagato said as he smiled. 

"Cinder girl! Why are you singing so happily?" Alcyone asked Emeraude the next day.   
"Because I like to sing." Emeraude said, wondering why would her stepmother object to   
her singing.   
"I want you to work, not sing." Alcyone said as she left the room. 

Emeraude now looked forward to school even more. Was it her, or did she find herself   
thinking of the Prince more and more often?   
"Dream on, he will never love me when he finds out who I really am. Besides, half the   
girls in Cephiro are in love with him."   
"Sister, but he would be very lucky if you were his bride." Ferio said "You are much   
better than most local girls." 

"Emeraude, can I see you sometime outside of class? We hardly have any time to talk."   
"Yes! Meet me at the Fantasia Forest at 3 tomorrow Saturday!" Emeraude would find a   
way to sneak out of her house and see Zagato. Even if it meant lying to Alcyone and   
having Caldina cover for her. Emeraude told Alcyone that she would be going to the   
bazaar to make a large purchase for the house. Ferio took care of the shopping for her,   
while Emeraude snuck out to see the Prince. 

"Zagato!"   
"Emeraude! I am so happy that you made it here!" The Prince and the maiden hugged. It   
was the first time they had touched each other. 

"Zagato, you are such a wonderful human being. All the womyn in Cephiro must be in   
love with you." Emeraude told him.   
"They do not like me for myself, but because I am the Crown Prince. You don't know   
how many gold diggers I have met. Yet I can tell you are not like that.   
"I sure am not."   
"You are intelligent, courageous, and a very good friend."   
A light went on inside Zagato's head.   
"Emeraude, my parents are throwing a ball for my 19th birthday. Normally, I despise   
balls, since my parents are trying to arrange my meeting with girls. But I would really   
enjoy it if you would come to it. That way I would not only not get bored, but I would   
have a truly happy birthday."   
Emeraude worried for a second, since she thought she would not have an appropriate   
dress to wear. But then she remembered a beautiful blue gown that her mother had left   
her.   
"I would love to come! Thank you for the invitation."   
The bells of the church tower could be heard in the distance.   
"Oh no, I have to go. But I truly enjoyed talking to you, Zagato."   
"When will I see you again?"   
"Monday in school! Have a wonderful evening!"   
"You too!" 

What Zagato had not told Emeraude was that the ball was not just a simple birthday   
party, but an event where he would meet all the available girls in Cephiro and hopefully   
choose a bride by the next day. Or so his parents hoped. Yet Zagato had someone in   
mind, ball or not. Now he just needed Emeraude to show up. 

"Where were you, cinder girl?" Alcyone asked Emeraude when she returned home with   
the groceries.   
"Oh, stepmother, I ran into an old friend of mine and chatted too much."   
"I don't believe you." Alcyone said.   
"But it is true. Celica and I were good friends in elementary school."   
"It's true, I remember her." Caldina interjected, not knowing if it was true or not what   
her stepsister said.   
"Well, I don't care. You should have done the groceries quickly. Anyway, Caldina and I   
have been invited to the Prince's ball."   
"Mother, I am not interested in the Prince! He's too pretty for me! Now the Captain of   
the guard, LaFarge, now he's a beefcake!" Caldina said.   
"We are not going for you, but for ME. Prince Zagato is hot and rich. And I will be   
borrowing Presea's blue gown, Emeraude."   
"Excuse me, stepmother, but that's MY mother's dress. Besides, ALL the available   
womyn in Cephiro have been invited to the ball. The announcements said so." Emeraude   
pulled out a flyer announcing the ball from her pocket. She had grabbed it as evidence so   
that Alcyone would not suspect that she had gotten a personal invitation from the Prince.   
"Well, the Prince is NOT going to look at a miserable servant. And I need you to make   
the neckline in the dress lower."   
"But the dress was a gift from my mother!"   
"And she's dead!"   
Emeraude nearly slapped Alcyone. But she knew what kind of trouble she would get into,   
so she restrained herself. 

A week later, the day of the ball:   
"How do I look?" Alcyone asked her daughter and stepdaughter.   
"Like a tramp" Caldina and Emeraude thought. But they did not say anything.   
"Don't worry mother, I won't be competition. I am going there only for the   
beefcake...and cheesecake, and chocolate cake, and punch, and..."   
"Now you don't eat like a pig. Don't make me look bad." 

Alcyone and Caldina left. Ferio was watching from outside, and entered the house.   
"Don't worry Sister, balls are stupid anyway."   
"Ferio, it is not the ball, it is Zagato."   
"Zagato? As in, Crown Prince Zagato Montague of Cephiro?" Ferio said   
"Yes. He invited me personally."   
"You truly love him, don't you?"   
"With all my heart. But I don't care if he is the prince. He is simply awesome. If only I   
could see him tonight and let him know how I feel. I wonder if he feels the same way for   
me." 

Emeraude and Ferio heard a little music and a squeaky voice.   
"Have no fear, Primera's here!"   
"Wow, a fairy!"   
"My name is Primera. I have seen your suffering and heard your cries. And I am here to   
grant your wishes! Here is a beautiful dress for you." Primera chanted magic words and   
Emeraude appeared dressed in a beautiful pink gown that showed her hourglass figure.   
Her long hair was adorned by a circlet with gems that matched her green eyes. And on   
her feet were a pair of slippers in an intricate brocade pattern that she had never seen   
before.   
"Not just that. Ferio's going also!"   
"Who me?" Before Ferio could finish his sentence, he was adorned with an outfit that   
looked more out of young Prince Lantis' closet than Ferio's wardrobe.   
"And even something for Horsey here!" Primera adorned the horse and carriage with   
beautiful flowers.   
"Now hurry up, or you will not have much time to dance!"   
"Arre!" Ferio hopped on the horse and Emeraude on the carriage. He raced to the palace   
as fast as he could. 

"Hi Prince Zagato, hee hee!" girl after girl said in giggles and flirtations.   
"When will this torture end? I hope nothing bad happened to Emeraude" Zagato was   
thinking.   
"Hello, your royal highness" Alcyone said as she introduced herself to Zagato.   
"Hello there." Zagato got bad vibrations from Alcyone, even though he had never seen   
her before. Little did he know that she was the one responsible for Emeraude's suffering. 

The clock struck nine. And with the bell chimes, a beautiful maiden entered the palace.   
More than one person gasped at her beauty.   
"I am sorry I am late."   
Zagato turned around to see the woman of his dreams.   
"Emeraude! You are here! Thank you for coming! Let's dance!"   
Zagato began waltzing with Emeraude in the direction of a balcony, and locked the door   
after exiting to it.   
"I was afraid that you were not going to come."   
"I had a little misfortune. But I am fine now. And very happy to finally be here."   
"Look at the stars. They are all out tonight." 

Meanwhile, inside the ballroom.   
"Oops, sorry." Ferio felt someone bump into him. "You are Prince Lantis, right?"   
"Unfortunately" the young teenager Ferio hit replied.   
"Why do you say that? I would LOVE to be the Prince."   
"No you don't. In a few years, my parents will make me choose a bride and throw a ball   
like they are doing now to my poor brother. Hey, wanna fly my model airplanes?"   
"Cool! But let me get more food." Ferio was eating enough so that he would not have to   
eat the next day. 

The boys sneaked out to go to the balcony to fly Lantis' model airplanes.   
But there they saw their respective brother and sister. Both Lantis and Ferio were   
surprised (and happy) to see Zagato and Emeraude talking and laughing together.   
"Looks like my big brother finally found a girl he likes."   
"And he could not have made a better choice." Ferio mumbled. Lantis heard him.   
"You know her?"   
Ferio could not tell the whole truth, but he could tell all the great things Emeraude had   
done for him.   
"Yes, she is my neighbor. But she is also a good friend, like a big sister to me. You see, I   
am an orphan, and Emeraude is the only person I can trust. She brings me food from her   
house, and helps me with my homework. She is an angel sent from Heaven."   
"Wow. And from what I can tell, she has made my older brother just as happy. He had   
spoken about a new friend he had met in school, but I did not know it was a female   
friend, much less that he liked her." 

"Emeraude, I would like you to meet my parents."   
"Wow, I am getting to talk to the King and Queen"   
"Just think of them as my parents." 

The King and Queen were very impressed with Emeraude. They knew their son was   
choosy and had good taste, but they did not expect him to meet the woman of his dreams   
so soon. She even exceded their expectations. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen. The Crown Prince has a very important announcement to make."   
Duke Eagle Vision proclaimed to the audience.   
"Dear Cephiro. Tonight's ball was thrown with the purpose of my finding a bride"   
Zagato said   
"Finding a bride?" Emeraude did not know that part.   
"And I am happy to announce that I have chosen her! Meet Emeraude Maimonides"   
Zagato had a big smile on his face.   
Emeraude gasped with joy. This sure was a beautiful surprise that she was not imagining. 

But unfortunately, her joy would not last long.   
"Prince Zagato, I think you are making a mistake. That maiden is not a lady, but the   
servant girl at my house!" Alcyone said after recognizing Emeraude and climbing up the   
stage.   
"That cannot be right."   
"Emeraude, is that true?"   
Emeraude hid her face in her hands and ran away, crying. Ferio ran after her. But in the   
way, Emeraude lost one of her brocade slippers.   
The clock struck twelve. The spell was broken. Emeraude and Ferio were back in civilian   
clothes.   
"Saved by the bell. Now nobody can recognize us." 

"That cannot be right. She is too refined to be a servant. Are you sure Lady Alcyone?"   
"Look at her identification." Alcyone showed the Queen and King Emeraude's binding   
contract.   
"Well, who cares if she is a servant? I love her and want to marry her."   
"I am sorry son, but you have to marry a lady of your class."   
"She is a servant girl, yet I met her in school. No wonder she took only early morning and   
evening classes. She had to work. Yet she worked so hard to superate herself."   
"Did you say school?" A look of rage appeared in Alcyone's face. Zagato now was   
getting really afraid of Alcyone. He ran into his chambers. 

Poor Emeraude. The next day, Alcyone burned her school books and supplies.   
"You are born a servant, you will stay a servant forever. You ungrateful lazy little   
bastard. Thought you could sneak behind me, get smart, and charm the Prince? I don't   
think so! Be grateful that I got rid only of the books and not of you. Now you stay there."   
Alcyone locked Emeraude in a room in the house. Emeraude tried to pray, but she could   
not stop crying. "How am I gunna study now without my books? Or worse- how will I   
sneak out to school now?" 

Yet the truth would be known. 

"Your majesty, as the girl your son chose ran away, she dropped this slipper. Shall I look   
for the girl whose foot fits this shoe?" Eagle Vision asked the king.   
"Absolutely. Anything to cheer up my son."   
Zagato had not come out of his bedroom since the previous night. He could not sleep, eat,   
nor stop crying. Not only was he furious that he could not marry Emeraude, but also   
worried about what could Alcyone have done to her. Zagato was not the only one with   
the suspicion that Alcyone was not treating Emeraude well.   
"Eagle, can I come with you?"   
"Please do, Lantis. You saw her better than I did." 

"Wish I knew where she lived, though."   
"I will try this shoe on every girl in the kingdom." 

That would not be necessary, since shortly after departing the castle, the royal carriage   
ran into Ferio.   
"Ferio, Ferio!"   
"Hi Prince Lantis" Ferio grumbled. He suspected what trouble Emeraude had gotten into.   
"Ferio, get into the carriage! We need your help pronto! Where does the beautiful girl   
that my brother loves live?"   
"Emeraude's house is located just 3 miles south of here! Let's go!"   
Eagle made sure that the horse ran as fast as it could. They got to the mansion faster than   
what they thought, since Ferio knew the road well. 

"Search every room in the house. Do not give up!" Eagle told Lantis and Ferio just before   
knocking on the door.   
"Hi, may I help you?" Caldina answered the door.   
"Hi mademoiselle. We are searching for the owner of this slipper. The lady who dropped   
it is the one chosen by the Prince."   
"Look, I am not interested in the Prince. Now if you said the Captain of the Guard"   
"Please try it on anyway" Eagle said, trying to kill time as Lantis and Ferio searched the   
house.   
"I think the one you are looking for is me" Alcyone said as she entered. She was all   
made-up.   
"I don't think so" Eagle thought "This woman's at least twice the Prince's age. But I will   
try it on her, what the heck" 

Meanwhile, Ferio and Lantis knocked on the door of the cell where Emeraude was   
locked up.   
"Yes, Stepmother?"   
"No Emeraude, it's me!" Ferio said "Your stepmother isn't here. How do I pick this   
lock?"   
"Key's right above you!"   
Ferio opened the door.   
"Hi Ferio, thank you. Hi...Prince Lantis?" Emeraude was surprised.   
"Emeraude, glad we found you. You have to come to the palace immediately. My brother   
has been depressed and gloomy since you left last night."   
"But he must hate me now that he knows who I really am."   
"Well I don't. Ferio told me the whole truth about you, about how you are truly   
Alcyone's stepdaughter, and how she has abused you and exploited you all these years,   
yet you are going to school hoping to be free someday."   
"That is true!" Emeraude said.   
"Eagle, we found her!"   
The Duke hurried up and placed the slipper on Emeraude's foot. It fit perfectly.   
"Did you keep its match?"   
"I did, but I don't know if my stepmother took it."   
"You liar! How ungrateful!" Alcyone ran away when she realized that Eagle and Lantis   
now knew the truth about her.   
"We tried to arrest her, but she escaped. We arrested your stepsister though." Caldina   
was handcuffed.   
"Please don't do anything to Caldina. She is good." Emeraude begged them.   
"It is true. Emeraude has never said anything bad about Caldina." Ferio agreed.   
"Then you all come to the palace! We have to make sure that the Prince is all right.   
"But I can't go dressed like a servant!"   
"You can borrow one of my dresses" Caldina said   
"No time for that. The Prince will be happy to see you in any dress." 

The bunch hurried to the palace.   
"Zagato!" Lantis announced as he entered his older brother's bedroom.   
"I want to be alone" Zagato said.   
"Well, you've got a visitor." Eagle said. Zagato had closed the drapes of his bed.   
"I don't want to see to anybody."   
"Not even me?" Emeraude asked.   
The drapes opened quickly.   
"Emeraude! You are all right! You came back!" The two lovers hugged.   
"Yes I am. I am sorry that I did not tell you the truth. I hope that you still like me."   
"Of course I still love you. It's not what you are, but who you are." he said as he held her   
hands.   
"And she is of your class. She is really the daughter of the merchant Clef Maimonides.   
But unfortunately, her stepmother made her work as a servant after his death."   
" I KNEW there was something wicked to that Alcyone. Where is she? She will pay for   
hurting Emeraude."   
"We are sorry, Zagato, but she ran away before we could catch her. We sent troops out   
after her, though."   
"Emeraude, will you marry me?" Zagato asked, getting down on one knee.   
"Yes I will! But first I would like to finish school"   
"I will finish school first also. Cephiro needs an educated future king and queen. And   
yes, Ferio can come live in the palace." Zagato said, guessing Emeraude's request before   
she voiced. it. 

"We finally found her, Your Highness"   
"You horrible witch. How dare you hurt my beloved Emeraude? How?"   
"It was her fault"   
"No it was not. She was a child, you were the adult in charge of her. You will pay"   
"Zagato please, don't be cruel on her." Emeraude asked him. Her kindness showed even   
towards those who had hurt her.   
"Emeraude, she was the person responsible for all your pain. Yet you are kind enough to   
ask me for mercy on her? Well, since I just want to get rid of her let's simply expel her   
from Cephiro and send her to one of the neighboring countries. 

And Emeraude and Zagato got married and lived happily ever after.   
  
  
  
  



End file.
